The present invention relates generally to computer memory, and more particularly to a vector register file.
Computer systems often require a considerable amount of high speed memory, such as random access memory (RAM), to hold information, such as data and programs, when a computer is powered and operational. Memory device demands have continued to grow as computer systems have increased performance and complexity.
Communication from a main processor to locations on memory devices can involve relatively long data access times and latency. The time it takes for the main processor to access memory can be, for example, several hundred cycles, including time to realize the data is not in cache (for memory reads), time to traverse from a processor core of the main processor to I/O, across a module or other packaging, arbitration time to establish a channel to memory in a multi-processor/shared memory system, and time to get the data into or out of a memory cell.
Computer systems can also include local memory within processors. Processors that include large register files typically require a large amount of internal memory. Register files with multiple ports and a large number of memory cells can drive processor sizing and performance in terms of area, power, and delays, which can further impact overall system sizing and performance.